Status Audio Pro X Review: The Best High-End Earbuds?

Clear, elaborate sound that rivals nan champion connected nan market. Comfy and unsocial design. Superb sound canceling.

Not awesome for calls successful large environments.

Never heard of Status Audio? I don’t blasted you. The New York City–based institution has been operating nether nan radar ever since laminitis James Bertuzzi launched its first product, nan wired CB-1 headphones, successful 2016.

Several wireless headphones followed, and Status yet created 2 wireless earbuds, the Between Pro ($169) successful 2021 and Between 3ANC ($249) successful 2023. They were some good received and proved celebrated pinch buyers, possibly helped by their quirky yet super-comfy quadrate shape.

Still, galore reviewers—myself included—noted that they seemed to deficiency features for illustration precocious codecs, deterioration sensors, and customizable controls that came modular connected likewise priced alternatives from nan large brands. The bigger issue, however, was that nan Between 3ANC’s sound canceling and sound value fell short.

Bertuzzi and his squad were evidently taking notes. The company’s third-gen earbuds, nan $299 Status Pro X, conscionable launched, and they’re a awesome leap complete their predecessors. In fact, aft spending 3 weeks pinch them, I deliberation Status has created an fantabulous replacement to flagship wireless earbuds from Bose, Sony, and Apple.

Unique Design

Design-wise, nan Pro X clasp nan aforesaid basal style arsenic nan company’s erstwhile models. An ergonomic in-ear module is connected to a chunky, rectangular stem. In a world of glossy achromatic stems, nan Pro X’s matte achromatic pinch its slash of chrome stands out. I deliberation it looks crisp and sophisticated.

The charging lawsuit is astir nan aforesaid size arsenic galore of its closest competitors. It’s good built, pinch a sturdy hinge and a beardown magnetic latch. Charging tin beryllium done wirelessly aliases wired via USB-C, and Status includes a short cablegram successful nan container (though return statement if you’ve sewage an older machine aliases charger, arsenic it’s USB-C to USB-C).

The Pro X buds themselves look sleeker than some nan Between Pro and Between 3ANC; nan stem information now sits overmuch person to your ear, and Status has nixed nan silicone “fitwing” sleeves. If you’ve had luck pinch nan AirPods Pro aliases immoderate different stem-based buds pinch silicone receptor tips, I deliberation you’ll for illustration nan fit.

That said, nan elimination of nan erstwhile generation's “fitwings” does effect stability. With little skin-to-silicone contact, nan Pro X don’t person nan aforesaid rock-solid consciousness arsenic nan Between 3ANC. Unless you’re relentlessly pounding nan pavement, it shouldn’t beryllium an issue. I was a spot amazed to spot that location are only 3 sizes of receptor tips successful nan box, including nan preinstalled mediums. More and much companies are shipping 4 sizes these days, but it's not a woody breaker. With an IP55 standing for particulate and h2o resistance, they should person nary problem pinch a spot of sweat aliases rain—just beryllium judge to swipe them down earlier putting them backmost successful nan case.

Status’ chunky creation makes it easy to reposition nan buds without accidentally triggering a control. When you do want to tap, nan wide outer aboveground gives a generous target for your finger. The Pro X includes an improved type of nan beingness fastener that sits atop those rectangular stems. This 1 is somewhat easier to press, acknowledgment to its mildly rounded profile.

I don’t wholly understand Status’ reasoning here. On nan 1 hand, it makes a batch of consciousness to connection group a prime of beingness and touch controls. People not only person preferences for 1 aliases nan other, but location are besides times erstwhile only a due fastener will do (e.g., gloved hands). Then again, you tin only customize nan touch controls via nan Status Hub app, and nan buttons are frustratingly hard-coded to only service 3 functions: ANC mode switching, sound adjunct access, and powerfulness off/on. In an perfect world, you could delegate immoderate usability to immoderate control/gesture combo. The summation of deterioration sensors—one of nan omissions that made nan Between 3ANC harder to recommend—is a invited change, and they activity good for playing and pausing music.

Cross Compatible

Pairing nan Pro X is simply a threat connected Android acknowledgment to Google Fast Pair, and only 2 taps harder connected an iPhone. In my clip pinch these buds, nan relationship remained very reliable. With Bluetooth multipoint, you tin link 2 devices simultaneously, and switching betwixt them is accelerated and seamless. You can’t spot nan database of antecedently paired (and simultaneously paired) devices successful nan app, but that’s a insignificant nitpick.

The Pro X don’t support Bluetooth Auracast astatine nan moment, but Status tells maine it’s connected nan roadworthy representation and should beryllium enabled pinch a early firmware update later this year. When that happens, Status says you’ll beryllium capable to usage nan app to find and perceive to Auracast broadcasts. Several Auracast-compatible wireless earbuds I’ve tested precocious trust connected a phone’s operating strategy to supply nan needed interface, which is simply a existent problem for iPhone owners, arsenic Apple has yet to clasp LE Audio aliases Auracast technologies.

Active sound canceling (ANC) connected nan Pro X is simply a awesome triumph for Status. It’s sensational, pinch a capacity that comes truthful adjacent to Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 ($249) and Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra ($299), it’s difficult to quantify nan differences. Whether retired and astir connected engaged streets aliases dealing pinch nan drone of machinery aliases craft compartment noise, you’re treated to a quiet and calm environment. However, if you’re already successful a quiet location, you whitethorn announcement that ANC mode produces a low-level inheritance hiss erstwhile you’re not listening to anything. I couldn’t perceive it each erstwhile euphony was playing, moreover arsenic debased arsenic 20 percent, truthful it’s not a woody breaker for me, but if you want a cleanable hush moreover erstwhile there’s already a cleanable hush, you whitethorn want to look elsewhere.

Ambient (transparency) mode is besides excellent. Status offers 4 ambient modes successful its companion app: Low, Medium, High, and Super. I utilized High astir of nan time, arsenic it felt astir earthy to me, but I besides appreciated Super mode, which acted arsenic a flimsy proceeding enhancement for voices. It’s still not arsenic cleanable arsenic nan AirPods Pro 2 erstwhile it comes to nan sound of your voice, but past again, I’ve ne'er tested a group of earbuds that could lucifer nan AirPods’ transparency.

Best of all, switching betwixt ANC and Ambient is fast, and you don’t request to toggle done nan disposable disconnected mode to do so. There’s besides an anti-wind-noise mode, which I needed erstwhile utilizing ANC successful moreover a ray breeze. Unfortunately, there’s presently nary measurement to trigger this mode utilizing nan buttons aliases touch controls; you’ll request to unfastened nan app.

Multi-Driver Performance

When it comes to flagship wireless earbuds from nan biggest brands (think Apple, Bose, Sony, Sennheiser, and Technics), they each person 1 point successful common: a azygous move driver does each of nan work. This isn’t needfully a bad thing—single-driver earbuds tin sound fantastic—but it’s an attack that puts each of nan acoustic eggs successful 1 basket.

The Pro X, for illustration nan Between 3ANC earlier them, usage aggregate drivers: a move portion for nan lowest frequencies paired pinch a dual group of Knowles balanced armatures for nan upper-mids and highs. Just for illustration successful a building speaker that has a woofer, a midrange, and a tweeter, multi-driver earbuds disagreement and conquer by sending circumstantial frequencies to a driver that’s been tuned to grip them.

Out of nan box, nan earbuds are group to Status Signature—the Pro X’s default tuning. It’s a nicely balanced EQ that boosts neither highs nor lows, yet still possesses a lukewarm tone. There’s effortless item successful nan midrange, and nan highs person fantabulous clarity. Bass is tightly controlled; moreover erstwhile pushing nan Pro X to 95 percent volume, Billie Eilish’s bass-tastic “Bad Guy” sounded perfect, pinch nary discernible distortion.

Switching to nan Knowles Preferred preset gives a large bump to nan precocious mids and highs to show disconnected what those balanced armatures tin do. Normally, this benignant of tuning doesn’t do it for me, but connected nan Pro X, I was impressed by really enjoyable it was. If you’ve recovered yourself drawn to Bose’s high-energy sound signature successful nan past, this preset gets you very close.

If you can’t find your favourite equilibrium from among nan 5 disposable presets, you tin rotation your own. In fact, 1 of nan champion features is creating civilization EQ presets by starting pinch an existing one. I goosed Status Signature’s debased extremity conscionable a tad and sewage precisely nan operation I wanted. On that note, I person to springiness Status props for its app; it’s ace cleanable and very easy to use.

The soundstage isn’t particularly wide—I’d spot its extremities astir 3 to 6 inches extracurricular my head—but it’s sewage fantabulous precision. Individual elements guidelines retired from each different truthful intelligibly that you tin mentally constituent astatine nan various musicians playing successful beforehand of you. A jazz classical for illustration Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” benefits a batch from nan Pro X’s clear separation of sounds, letting you admit each instrumentality successful its ain space.

I did astir of my listening connected an iPhone 16, but it’s worthy noting that nan Pro X support Sony’s high-quality LDAC Bluetooth codec. If you’re connected Android, make judge you’ve sewage it enabled for an moreover smoother, much refined performance.

Against nan Crowd

I compared nan Pro X pinch Sony’s WF-1000XM5, Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 4, and Technics’ EAH-Z100. The Status Pro X much than held their ain connected sound quality. I personally still for illustration nan XM5’s sound signature, acknowledgment to its much resonant bass response, but that’s much astir my sensation than immoderate shortcomings of nan Pro X—they’re excellent.

Phone calls connected nan Pro X will support your sound very clear, pinch an impressively earthy tone—that is, arsenic agelong arsenic you’re successful a comparatively quiet environment. The infinitesimal things get noisier (think large traffic, construction), nan algorithm struggles to support your sound from becoming compressed. Your callers, connected nan different hand, will apt deliberation you’re conscionable stepping done an area of bad reception: Status’ VoiceLoom AI does an admirable occupation of canceling retired those intrusive noises. With either transparency mode (or nan optional sidetone mode), you’ll perceive your sound intelligibly too, though you whitethorn request to research to find nan champion combo.

Status pegs nan Pro X’s artillery life astatine 8 hours per charge, pinch 24 hours full erstwhile you see nan case’s capacity. If you move ANC off, you whitethorn get up to 9.5 hours per charge. That’s connected nan little broadside of what you tin expect from a group of wireless earbuds, particularly erstwhile you see that these numbers are based connected 50 percent measurement and tin driblet precipitously erstwhile LDAC is used. LDAC positive ANC resulted successful conscionable 5 hours of continuous play time, according to Status’ ain testing. Is it a woody breaker? No, aliases astatine least, not for astir folks.

Given nan Pro X’s galore strengths and broad characteristic set, I deliberation they easy warrant their $299 asking price. And if you get successful connected Status’ preorder period, which ends September 16, you tin prevention yourself $50. At $249, they’re a steal.